Re: Is it this easy to live on Mars?

Building inhabited pressure vessels to operate 1 km below the ocean's
surface on Earth gives us near term experience at operating at the
pressures of Venus' surface - though not the temperatures. Deep sea
articulated 1 atm suits also give us interesting hands on experience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_diving_suit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JIM_suit

http://www.divingheritage.com/jim.htm

A suit like this adapted for Venus conditions may be possible. With
a balloon borne power supply - a 1,100 lb suit - would require only
1/40th the power of a 20 tonne capsule lifted by smaller arcjet
systems. This means a 600 ft diameter balloon - covered with thin
filmsolar cells with MEMs based microwve emitters built in.

So, replace the water thrusters in the JIM suit with arcject thrusters
powered by microwave beams - and this is a lower mass manned landing
system.

To reduce system mass one might send astronauts in a long duration
spacesuit - with no cabin or quarters. You just wear the suit for the
entire duration of the mission. Each individual has their own support
system. They will help one another in an emergency - or use MEMs
based microrobots teleoperated from suit mounted heads up displays.

This system would be reduced to 10 tons - with the bulk of the mass
being the balloon power supply. The balloon would inflate on orbit,
after being launched by any of a number of vehicles that could loft 10
tons into LEO. The 100 MW of power would propel the arcjet rockets on
the suit - sending the entire apparatus to Venus. At Venus, the
system would 'land' - operating as a balloon high in the Venusian
atmosphere. The astronaut once the system was established - would
detach from the balloon and take about an hour to descend to the
surface by jet action - using the Venusian atmosphere itself. to both
land and take off.

This could be done several times.

Over the synodic period the interplanetary propellant tank would be
recharged from Venusian gases - extracting water, and providing
breathable oxygen and hydrogen propellant for the interplanetary
arcjet.

When the planets were aligned again, the balloon is detached (and
saved for future missions) and the stage returned to Earth - to land
on the surface.

..
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Relevant Pages

  • Up, Up and Away -- To Venus
    ... Up and Away -- To Venus ... A prototype balloon could eventually study the planets ... Slightly smaller than Earth, Venus is often regarded as Earth's sister ... its atmosphere is nearly 100 times thicker than ...
    (sci.space.news)
  • Gravity Waves discovered on Venus
    ... landing, not on the hot hard ground, but on cool soft dense Venus air. ... A prototype balloon could eventually study the planets ... surface and examine its atmosphere and the bizarre winds and chemistry ... but a balloon can stay in a benign environment, studying the planet for ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Multiplexed Laser Light Sail Operation
    ... Each balloon traveled about 30 ... techniques to monitor the Venus winds. ... Of course this is all old technology. ... Two payloads of 520 kilograms each provide continuous coverage of the ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Is it this easy to live on Mars?
    ... us to lift off from the surface of Venus once there. ... engine launcher and the power supply. ... A balloon hovering at 50 km altitude, ... Each station could dispatch several landers to a wide range of ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Williams Sisters "News"
    ... There has been some speculating that Venus could make progress in a UK ... suit against e.g. 'HardCell' if HardCell is stating that Venus used ... "the person who chose to bring the suit would ... The case seems not relevant -- the defendant Elizabeth Lipstadt seems ...
    (rec.sport.tennis)